![\"First](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/firstdayofseason.jpg\" "\\"First")
<\/p>\nSunday was a beautiful spring day; a perfect day to kick off the 2009 fishing season. Did the usual scramble to get all the gear together and made sure the kayak was still seaworthy. Sweet dreams of a new fishing season.
\nEven though it would be 75F later in the day, at 5:00 AM I had to scrape ice off the windshield to get going. As I headed east along the Columbia River, snow covered Mt. Hood was barely visible in the pre-dawn light. Got to the launch between Hood River and The Dalles. It was glassy in the protected coves and west wind chop and the usual Columbia River currents out in the main channel. Still a little nippy as I launched into the river.
\nHeaded out into the main channel and started to work the rocks and drop-offs with the the trusty clear\/red flecked grub that has fooled both fresh and saltwater bass. Sure enough, got a nice spring smallmouth and a few more short hits; the season was off and running.<\/p>\n
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![\"First](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/firstfish2009.jpg\" "\\"First")
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![\"Beachfront](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/beachfrontparking.jpg\" "\\"Beachfront")
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Next Saturday is the trout season opener, we’ll be having a go at those hungry trout. Many of the backcountry lakes are still covered in snow, but the plan is for one of the local lakes that is a little lower.
\nMaybe fishing on Saturday, snowboarding on Sunday; we’ll see how it works out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"